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Report of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, for the year 1903.
SANITARY BOARD OFFICES,
HONGKONG, 18th May, 1904.
SIR, I have the honour to submit for the information of the Board the fol- lowing report for the year 1903.
Importation of Live Stock.
Cattle have been plentiful throughout the year. There appears to be no difficulty in obtaining a regular supply of useful bullocks from the mainland. The imported cattle have been of good quality. The majority of the imported animals are only housed prior to shipment to the Philippine Islands. The export trade has been brisk all the year.
The animal
One case of Anthrax occurred at the Depôts during the year. was found dead in the morning and no reliable history could be got. premises were cleansed and disinfected and no other case occurred.
The
Cases of Foot-and-mouth Disease have occurred during the year. This discase as seen among pure Chinese cattle assumes an exceedingly mild form. There is no systemic disturbance and the only lesion is seen on the tongue. In fact so mild is the disease that there is reason to believe that many cases entirely escape notice. By systematic cleansing and disinfection the disease never became at all serious.
In June a serious epidemic of a Hamorrhagic Septicemia appeared. A special grant was given by Government for the investigation of this disease. A preliminary investigation was undertaken by the Government Bacteriologist and myself and the result of this enquiry is the subject of a separate report which has already been submitted to Governinent.
The total number of cattle admitted to the Depôts at Kennedy Town during the year was 57,693, an increase on the previous year of 19,162. At Hung Hom 6,397 were admitted as against 5,065 of the former year. At Kennedy Town 37 cattle were rejected as unfit for food as against 652 in 1902.
This figure is significant of a better class of cattle being imported since the chief cause of rejection is emaciation. At Hung Hom 406 were rejected as unfit. The greater number of these rejections.occurred in the early part of the year and the explanation seems to be that many of the cattle which the owners knew well would be rejected at Kennedy Town as unfit were taken to Hung Hom and also to the fact that many of them were rejected there more than once, i. e., they were rejected and aken brought back again after a month or so and again rejected.
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At Kennedy Town 34,410 sheep and goats were admitted, an increase of 1,746 on the previous year. Swine for 1903 show a decrease of 16,579 since 169,017 were admitted." This decrease is difficult to account for in a satis- factory manner. The numbers dealt with during the first nine months of the year showed an increase on the first nine mouths of the previous year but there was a marked falling off during October, November and December. This may tie due to the fact that there was a considerable rise in the price of pork at that bme. It is noteworthy that with the rise in price of pork there seems to be an in- creased demand for beef by Chinese and for facilities for selling beef.
A considerable increase in the housing accommodation has been provided. A new upper floor to one of the sheds in the sheep and swine depôt was finished at the beginning of the year and occupied on the 15th of January. The first section of new cattle sheds was commenced in March and was taken over in November. Lean-to sheds round part of the old cattle depôt have also been erected, thus giving much more room for housing cattle. The second section of the cattle sheds was commenced in October and at the end of the year was well advanced,